Global unemployment: Check out where New Zealand ranks

If New Zealand's unemployment rate worries you, be glad you’re not an HR manager in Mauritania – but which country has the fewest unemployed people?

New Zealand's unemployment rate has been slowly decreasing since it peaked at 6.9% in 2012, and it’s now at 6.1% and predicted to fall further in 2015.
 
If that still sounds high to you, be glad you’re not trying to find a job in Mauritania or Bosnia and Herzegovina where the unemployment rate sits 30.8% and 28.7% respectively.
 
A low unemployment rate can make things tougher for HR, creating essentially a seller’s market where potential candidates have more options and can therefore be pickier about the salary and benefits they want. Hiring managers in Singapore might wish the unemployment rate was a bit higher than 3.1%, especially when they have skilled roles to fill.
 
New Zealand's rate is comparable to Canada and Australia, but the labour market still hasn’t bounced back to the levels seen in 2007 when unemployment was just 3.7% - closer to the rates currently seen in Singapore and Japan.
 
 
Country 2011 2012 2013 2014 [Projected]
Singapore 2.9 2.8 3.1 3.2
Japan 4.5 4.3 4.1 4
China 4.3 4.5 4.6 4.7
Austria 4.1 4.3 4.8 4.9
Germany 5.9 5.4 5.3 5.3
Australia 5.1 5.2 5.6 5.7
New Zealand 6.5 6.9 6.4 6.1
Canada 7.4 7.2 7.1 7
United Kingdom 7.8 8 7.5 7.3
United States 9 8.2 7.5 7.2
France 9.2 9.9 10.5 10.9
Ireland 14.6 14.7 13.6 13.4
Greece 17.7 24.2 27.6 28.1
Bosnia and Herzegovina 27.6 28.1 28.6 28.7
Mauritania 31 31 30.9 30.8
 
 

Recent articles & video

Teacher censured for accessing porn on school-issued laptop

Carpool woes: Worker claims additional pay for driving colleagues to work

'Tougher market' ahead for jobseekers as NZ enters recession

Talent mobility: What’s the most challenging country for remote workers?

Most Read Articles

Employer assigns manager to smaller area – is it constructive dismissal?

Fired over colleagues' opinion?

Employer fined $20,000 for not complying with enforcement order: reports